Background: Simulation-based education (SBE) is a practical learning strategy in healthcare education. To ensure its quality, clarifying the competencies required of simulation educators is essential. Given the influence of cultural contexts, this study aimed to comprehensively examine the competencies of simulation educators in Japan and other countries.　Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the framework by Arksey and O'Malley. Literature searches were performed in four databases, including PubMed, to identify studies describing competencies for healthcare simulation educators. A total of 24 articles were selected and analyzed.　Results: The analysis identified nine major themes and 58 subthemes related to educator competencies. While literature from Japan and other countries covered the overall framework, variations were found at the subtheme level. Japanese literature lacked detailed descriptions on debriefing, advanced technologies, and research competencies.　Conclusions: While core competencies for simulation educators show similarities across countries, notable regional differences exist. Incorporating global insights while tailoring competencies to Japan's specific educational and cultural context is essential for developing effective educator training programs.

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology in medicine, there is a growing demand for medical school curricula to educate students on its use in accordance with evolving legal and ethical standards. Based on previous research findings, we implemented a problem-based learning (PBL) program for fourth-year medical students-prior to their clinical clerkships-to address legal and ethical issues related to AI utilization. A novel PBL case, featuring a medical student responding to a patient who over-relies on a diagnosis from an AI-powered medical consultation app, demonstrated potential educational value, as reflected in student feedback analyzed using the ARCS model.

Due to the importance of developing physicians' competencies to utilize information, science, and technology, the 2022 revision of the Model Core Curriculum for Medical Education newly established guidelines for qualities and competencies, which it refers to as "Competencies to utilize information, science, and technology." The Model Core Curriculum outlines these qualities as "understanding the ever-developing information society and practicing medical research and treatment while utilizing information, science and technology such as artificial intelligence." The guidelines are organized by the three perspectives of "ethical viewpoints and rules for dealing with information, science and technology," "principles of information, science and technology necessary for medicine and its surrounding society," and "utilization of information, science and technology in the medical field." The objectives of the course were set from the three perspectives of "ethics and rules for dealing with information, science and technology," "principles of information, science and technology necessary for medicine and the society surrounding it," and "utilization of information, science and technology in medical practice." We looked back on the process of formulating these qualities and competencies, which will become increasingly important, and discussed their future prospects.

In the 2022 revision of the Model Core Curriculum, a new "Educational Strategies and Assessment" section was added as a further development in outcome-based education. By adding a chapter on strategies and evaluation, which is an important element of the curriculum, and linking it to qualities and abilities, we have devised a way for learners and instructors to make use of the Core Curriculum more easily. In addition, 11 example of strategy and assessment cases are included as Good Practice to encourage practical application. However, since these are only examples, we hope this chapter will be further developed as universities create strategies and evaluations that make the most of their unique characteristics.

When introducing the computer-based test (CBT) to the National Medical Licensing Examination, it is desirable to introduce question items with video and audio to take advantage of the characteristics of computers and to fill in the gaps between the audiovisual information presented in the exam and in clinical practice. 　To this end, it is necessary to collect appropriate video and audio materials and to establish the know-how and human resource development for creating items that make use of these materials.　The authors have been engaged in the development of video/audio-assisted CBT for 12 years. In the Kawakita Group of the Health Labour Sciences Research Grant projects, video/audio-assisted question items were given in the CBT trials for the National Medical Licensing Examination. Also, a manual and workshops for video/audio-assisted CBT have been prepared. Based on these experiences, this paper discusses the merits and challenges of CBT for the National Medical Licensing Exam.

In recent years, the Committee for the Improvement of the National Medical Licensing Examination has been discussing the possibility of replacing the National Medical Licensing Examination with CBT. The reasons for this include the diversification of the question format using multimedia and other methods and the need to respond to disasters and pandemics. Against this background, the authors are conducting research on CBT implementation for the National Medical Practitioners Examination. In FY2021, we conducted a CBT trial for the National Medical Licensing Examination using an open-source system. The trial was conducted at ten universities across the country, and most examinees were able to take the exam without any major problems. The future implementation of the CBT format for the national medical examinations will simplify the examination preparation system, develop a multiple examination system in preparation for contingencies, and evaluate examinees' abilities through more diverse question formats.

The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has significantly impacted medical education and the need to respond to rapidly changing and uncertain situation. In addition, with the decision to hold this year’s annual meeting, it was deemed necessary to have a forum for information sharing and discussion. Therefore, a special committee was formed to organize a cyber-symposium on medical education, and four symposia were held every two weeks, starting May 2020, under the themes of ‘Future Clinical Clerkship’, ‘Examinations’, ‘Post-graduate Education’ and ‘Medical Education with Corona’. This paper reports these symposia and provides an overview and future considerations.

Introduction: It is important to educate undergraduates about communication errors in clinical sites, but it is difficult for clinically inexperienced students to imagine those errors. Therefore, in this study, a board game (BG) was developed and put into practice to encourage students' understanding.　Methods: The BG consists of a board on which the patient's name is written and cards on which drug names are written. Students place cards on the board according to the teacher's instructions. These instructions include multiple traps based on actual incident cases. Through the game, students experienced errors.　Reflection: This BG contains gamification elements that make learning contents simple and fun and simulation elements that reproduce errors with high fidelity. By combining these elements, it is possible for each aspect of the ARCS model to be provided in a well-balanced manner, even in patient safety education for clinically inexperienced students.